My American Idol Experience

Hello to all!!! My goodness, it's been AGES since I last posted something to this blog! I could come up with a wide range of excuses (ie: my recent foray into intense political activism, hectic work schedule, etc.), but most of it comes down to good old-fashioned laziness. Laziness and an admitted lack of free time.

I've been inspired to break my silence by the overall sense of irritation I felt earlier this evening as regards a certain television program. I, like the vast majority of the television-viewing audience, was at one point a regular viewer of the Fox program "American Idol." Admittedly, I haven't followed the show since Season 3 when a pre-fame Jennifer Hudson was eliminated in a complete sham of a vote. It just hasn't held any appeal for me since that day.

That being said, I still admit to occasionally dreaming of trying out for the show; I don't think there's a spotlight-loving Theater Dork who doesn't. Although AI has never come close enough to Wichita for me to find it worthwhile to audition (Kansas City being the closest), I was fortunate enough to get a chance to live out the AI dreams of my high school self during a visit to Walt Disney World this past September.

In the Hollywood Studios park, there is a recently added attraction called "American Idol Experience." The name is painfully self-explanatory, so I won't elaborate. Needless to say, you can find out more information on the "ride" by visiting the official website. You might want to turn down the speakers on your computer before clicking; that AI theme music is fairly obnoxious.

So without further ado, here is the tale of my brush with glory, my Moment Like This, if you will.

We arrived at Hollywood Studios fairly early in the morning and, of course, the first thing I wanted to do was audition for AI. My mother, being the lovely and gracious woman that she is, went along with it. I arrived at the building which houses the "ride" and was presented with a number and a button which indicated my status as an auditioner (I was also told that I would be allowed to keep both as souvenirs). I entered a small room which housed a man behind a desk. I was then asked to sing a short a Capella selection. Being the Broadway Baby that I am, I belted out (in full Diva!Liza fashion) the bridge of "Maybe This Time." After being asked if I was professional (I'm not) and whether I was actually 18 (sadly, this wasn't the last time I was asked that during the day...must have been because my mom was with me), I was provided with a song list and told to do one of the songs from the list a Capella. I chose "Reflection" from Mulan (as recorded by Christina Aguilera). Apparently this was the right choice, because after some very kind words from the auditioner, I was told that I had made it to the next round of auditions.

I was then sent back into the waiting area and provided with a song list and an iPod, which was loaded with karaoke tracks from the list. I was told to pick out 2 songs (with the caveat that I couldn't pick the songs on the monitor of the room, which were already being used) and told to let them know when I was ready. As I settled in with the iPod, I was soon approached by a lady who would reveal herself to be a total nutjob over the course of the day. She asked if I minded if she sang (I didn't) and told me how this was her 5th time auditioning for AI Experience. She had made it to the Preliminary Show each time, but was still trying to make it to the Final Show. She then proceeded to belt out her selection at the top of her lungs, which caused a fair bit of consternation for my mother.

Finally, I picked my songs ("Reflection" again and "Ever Ever After" from Enchanted) and was told to enter the next audition room. I sang my songs and again, received from very kind words from the man running the room. I was then told to watch the monitor. At this point, a pre-recorded video of Ryan Seacrest came on. I was not, Pre-crest told me, going to Hollywood...but I was going to the Preliminary Show! I was given an official waiver to sign and was then escorted back into the waiting area to rounds of applause and cheering (much like you see on TV). At this point I was given a lanyard which proclaimed "Vote For Me!" in bright neon letters and was encouraged to wear it around the park that day. I was then instructed that I would be performing in the 11:00 show and that I needed to be at the stage door in 15 minutes. Seeing as the audition building was right next to the stage door, we just went on over ;)

The Preliminary Show. There were three of us who made it to this round of the competition--myself, a teenage girl, and a guy in his early-to-mid 30s. Each of us was given time with a vocal coach and a consultation with a hair/make-up artist. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it was pretty freaking sweet. At this point, we were given a tour of the stage and underwent a walk-thru of the show.

Did I mention that the stage was a TO SCALE EXACT REPLICA of the actual AI stage?? Lights, chairs, music, and all. It was really freaking sweet and DEFINITELY surreal. Each of us were given a chance to practice our song and then we were taken backstage while the audience filed in.

Showtime was pretty much a 30 minute version of what you see on TV. We had a Fake!Ryan host and fake judges who all responded to their basic prototypes--Simon, Randy, and Paula. When my turn came up, I was fighting some pretty serious butterflies but I felt that I did a good job. The concrit from the judges was extremely sweet and generally complementary, with the expected caveat that my style is "too Broadway" and not pop enough for AI. Since I've always joked around that they would tell me that if I auditioned for AI, I was hardly surprised.

The moment of truth. The teenager was OK (she sang some Taylor Swift song) and the guy was really good (he sang "What a Wonderful World"), so I really wasn't sure what would happen. The audience were given a chance to vote and we were shuffled onto the stage so Fake!Ryan could read the results. Would you believe that I won??? It was a crazy feeling--I could have floated on air. I was given a special pass and told to come back to the studio later that evening so that I could perform in the final show with the winners from all the other prelims during the day.

As a result of doing so well at AI Experience, my mom and I missed our lunch reservations. However, after explaining the situation to the folks at the restaurant, they were more than happy to accommodate us and get us in. After lunch, we explored the park before returning to our hotel room so that I could shower/change and get in a very brief nap. After that...it was back to Hollywood Studios and my date with American Idol destiny.

The Finale Show was pretty much an expanded version of the Preliminary Show. There were 5 of us competing (there were 6 prelims but the family of one of the finalists didn't want to wait around for the Final Show). Once again, we all got time with a vocal coach as well as hair and make-up. The other competitors were lots of fun and really helped break the tension. One girl in particular had us all in stitches with her impression of Stewart's Mom from MadTV.

My performance in the Finale was even better than the first time around. I got some AMAZING feedback from the judges. Randy told me that he was really proud because I actually took the criticism from before about being "too Broadway" and altered my sound to be more pop. He was really impressed with me for that and said it's not at all an easy thing to do (which it isn't; it makes everything feel more technical than organic which I HATE). Paula told me that my voice was like baby angels and that I was cute and bubbly like a cappuccino. I guess she was imitating the real Paula's drug use as well. Simon told me that I should go ahead and leave to pick my aunt up from the airport now because I wasn't going to win. The audience booed, but I really didn't care. When you're in the situation, you become hyper aware that the negative critiques Simon gives are just an act--a part of the show--and it keeps them from being hurtful.

After hearing the other competitors, I knew I didn't have a shot in hell. There were some AMAZING singers and I was just happy that my feedback from the judges was so positive. Imagine my shock when I came in THIRD!!! I couldn't have been happier, and being able to see the pride on my mom's face in the audience made it all worthwhile. Plus she had been texting my dad and my aunts all day, so I felt their pride as well.

I suppose I forgot to mention the scope of the Finale Show. While the Preliminary Show I did earlier probably had 200-300 people in the audience, the Finale had 700 or so. Plus the fact that it was being broadcast on the jumbotron in front of the studios so that people all over the park could watch. I didn't really realize the scope of that until my mom and I were leaving and walking out to the parking lot. I kept having people calling out to me, telling me that I was their favorite and that they had voted for me. It's really easy to see how fame can go to somebody's heads--it was this crazy intense thrill. I especially loved seeing little kids point at me and whisper to their parents.

One final story about my supposed "fame." As we were riding the tram out to the parking lot, I noticed a Hispanic family next to us pointing and whispering. After hearing one of them say "Congratulations," I made the mistake of turning around and saying, "Gracias." They took this to mean that I speak Spanish and then began talking veeeeeeeeery quickly en espanol. I apologized in my horrifying Spanglish and they realized their mistake.

So there you have it; my brush with fame. Even if I never do anything more than that, I'll always have the memory of a super fun day spent with my mom and living out my childhood fantasies of being a pop star.

PS--I forgot to mention this before, but the nutjob lady from earlier in the day didn't make it to the Finale. I won't pretend that I wasn't filled with a deep sense of schadenfreude ;)